White Lips, Pale Face
by moaaa
Summary: Erik is lost without Charles, but he has his button. His sad little button. - Basically Daddy Erik has to cheer up his insecure little girl have fun.


Erik looked around, standing among other parents, waiting to see his daughter after her first day of kindergarten. He felt terribly out-of-place, knowing that he was nothing like the dotting mothers or the overweight fathers. Erik was there purely out of bad luck, since Charles had somehow been snagged up to work from morning to night in his office.

Now, faced, for the first time, with having to take care of his daughter – Ellie – alone, with zero help from Charles.

Maybe he should have paid attention when Charles had read from the book "_Parenting: Understanding Your Child Better Than Yourself" _late at night in bed. There surely would have been some tips about _Dealing with the First Day of School for Anti-Social, Masochistic Men and their Daughters._

Erik grinned, looking around. That was a funny joke – surely Charles would laugh. Only, Charles wasn't there, he remembered, no one to read his mind, he realized. Charles was working late and he would have to cook dinner, give Ellie a bath, read her a bedtime story, answer her numerous questions about said story with whatever little patience he had by then (_Yes_, Erik thought up to a god he hoped was there, listening, _give the curious little girl to the hard-assed man, see how long it takes to make her cry) _and then lay down in his empty bed and hope he could stay up for Charles.

Erik couldn't help but feel terribly off kilter – this was what Charles usually did. All the affection in their family came straight from Charles' motherly instincts, and Erik's need for after-sex cuddles.

He shook off his thoughts as the bell rang and kids began filing out, the parents there immediately straightening in response.

Erik became more and more anxious has more children filed out – but his daughter.

Finally, she came running down the steps, clutching her now empty lunch pail and looking absolutely devastated.

Immediately, Erik's indifferent heart broke to tiny, tiny pieces. He may not understand how to communicate in a relationship, but he still loved his little button to pieces and seeing her so shattered made him feel just the same.

"Dad!" She came running to him, and he kneeled, letting her fly into his arms. That was when she began crying into his shoulder and he picked her up, holding her backpack and lunch pail in one hand, shushing her gently.

"Ellie, Ellie, sweetheart, shh," Erik began walking away, towards his car.

"He's so _mean, _daddy. I didn't do anything to him!"

And it struck Erik that he was dealing with their daughters first heartbreak over a boy – _alone._

"It's alright Ellie, come on," He buckled her into her car seat and got into the driver's seat, maneuvering through the packed parking lot impatiently. Behind him, he could still hear Ellie's soft cry's, sniffling sorrowfully.

Erik's mind raced - what does one do, in this situation? Erik was sure Charles would know, but Charles was not with him, and there was no way Erik would call him at work.

Besides, maybe this was good. Erik was sure this wouldn't be the last time this happened, and he should be able to take care of his daughter without constant supervision from anyone. He was a grown man, he shouldn't feel intimidated by his little daughter.

("_Oh Erik, I'll just take this day off. I know how overwhelming it can be for - alone. Alone.")_

No. He'd have to suck it up and make some decisions on his own.

Erik pulled the car into an ice cream shop, knowing that, if nothing else, this was a good move.

He could hear Charles, as his conscience: "Erik, you know that ice cream before dinner is a horrible idea. Use your head." But Erik ignored the voice, getting out to unbuckle his daughter and bring her into the shop.

It was mild inside, customers scattered. It had a nice feeling and Ellie barely stopped crying enough to decide what ice cream she wanted (_Pistachio, daddy, never any other. Other kinds make me sad.)_

Erik sat them at a table, watching as her tears slowly dissipated until she only sniffled, picking at her ice cream until it was gone. There was something about her defeated expression that reminded him eerily of Charles. The way she bit at her red lips and sniffled, nose tinged pink.

They went home. He carried her to Charles and his' room, tucking her into their bed, her favorite place to be. He brushed her hair back, kissing her cheek, waiting until she said something.

"He said some mean things, daddy," She sniffled.

"Whatever he said Ellie - button, don't listen to him, pumpkin." Erik was vaguely aware of the fact that he was laying it on quite thick with all the endearments, but he was kind of at a loss.

"He said I wasn't - that I wasn't, pretty like the other girls. He asked why I wasn't prettier and I didn't have an answer." Her lower lip trembled and she began to cry again, waterfalls of pitiful tears that broke his heart.

Erik's first thoughts were very inappropriate and very, very violent. His second thoughts were that his little girl was still crying, and he had no idea how to stop it.

He followed instinct. "Ellie, you're the prettiest little girl in this world."

She shook her head, "Mark said I wasn't, that no one would like me because I'm not pretty."

Erik untucked her from the bed, and carried her to the first bathroom.

He stood her on the counter, holding her steady. "Look - " he pointed to her cheeks, "at these cheeks. They're round, and -" Erik touched them lightly, "soft and adorable."

Erik blew a soft raspberry to her face and Ellie squirmed, smiling just lightly. "Mark said their fat."

Erik frowned. "And what about this beautiful hair. I wish I had hair like that. May I have some of yours?" Erik flopped some of her hair atop his own head, causing her to giggle at her father doing silly things.

He decided to keep it rolling, making sure she kept smiling. "And that smile - the most exquisite thing to grace the Earth. Your smile makes me smile Ellie, see?" He plastered a large, obnoxious grin on his face, watching as she giggled again.

"And those beautiful, beautiful eyes - Mark wishes he had your eyes. _I _wish I had your eyes."

Ellie turned around in Erik's arms on the counter and set her hand on his face gently. "You have pretty eyes too, daddy." She grinned happily, Mark forgotten.

Erik grabbed her hand and kissed her fingers, "Thank you, button. Now what do you want for dinner? Papa can't know you had ice cream today." He grinned, pulling her down as she giggled and to the kitchen.

* * *

**A/N: I don't know why I did this. I hope it gets lost somewhere in Atlantis. It just gave me a lot of feelings. Title from The A Team by Ed Sheeran its nice.**

**I'm trying to get back into writing and daddy!cherik was literally the only way. **

**bye bye, darlings.**


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